Tuesday, November 4, 2014

In September a rare opportunity began to unfold. I was contacted by JDA Software in Scottsdale, AZ to help them with storyboarding a series of videos.

In my first meeting with the JDA team, we ran through the current concept and discussed production. In a nutshell, the video would detail the way in which JDA software and Honeywell hardware combine to make the management of a shipping warehouse run smoother.

The head of the team asked me what I thought, and I explained how disastrous the superhero motif can be. Unless superheroes are used in an authentic and contextual manner, it will bomb. I offered some ideas as how to approach the video with this theme in mind.

The next night, I found out that the woman who contracted me as well as the team leader had been laid off. Everyone in charge of decision making was now gone. The man in charge of the video production, Kevin O'Donnell, was supposed to be flying out to Florida in four days. He needed storyboards and a shot list. I needed to know if the project was still a go. Later in the day, I received a conference call from Kevin and an executive from the JDA offices in Dallas. We were asked if we felt ok taking over the project ourselves. In addition to the art, I would need to write the script, dialog, and direct the shots for each scene.

So Kevin and I agreed to take over. Thankfully, Kevin is a top flight talent in production. We both worked together perfectly for the circumstances. He was able to improvise and frame shots while on location that enhanced everything I had in mind for each scene. His direction and final edit with sound and audio was awesome. It was a truly collaborative project.

Moving forward, with no accountability, micro-management, anyone to report to, we produced (what we feel) is some kick-ass and funny material.